Black Currant Drizzle Cake

I think I baked my absolute most favourite cake of the year today! And, YES, that IS saying a lot!!

I picked up the August issue of Good Food Magazine yesterday on the strength of the picture on the cover alone . . . a lovely looking loaf cake covered with a sugared mixture of summer fruits, and studded throughout with the same. Oh my but it looked some scrummy.



I could not wait to make it. This week I discovered a Black Currant bush in our back garden. I had seen this bush with the berries on it a few weeks back but had no idea of what they were until this week . . . one taste confirmed it . . . Black Currants! Nom Nom!! I hadn't noticed them last year, probably because we were in Canada when they ripened. Our loss was the bird's gain!



We love Black Currants in this house. We really do. I even buy my cough sweets in Black Currant flavour! When I saw this lovely recipe I knew exactly what fruit I wanted to use for the topping. You guessed it! Black Currants!



Oh my . . . it is the most delicious cake. All buttery and moist, and studded with sweet yet tart black currants . . . and that sugared topping . . . double oh my . . . it is heavenly, pure bliss, sooooo scrumdiddlyumptiously moreish.



This cake is soooo good in fact . . . that I skipped supper tonight and had two slices of it instead . . . I know . . . I am a bad puddy tat! =^..^=



One taste and you'll know why . . . it is totally impossible to resist the scruminess of this delicious treat. I can only imagine how good it would be with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.



Be still my heart! ♥♥♥ This was love at first bite! (Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine, August 2011) If you only bake one cake this season . . . let this be the one!!



*Black Currant Drizzle Cake*
Makes one 2 pound loaf
Printable Recipe

A delicious cake that is just right for taking on a picnic, or for a garden party or for just because!!

6 ounces of very soft butter (3/4 cup)
6 ounces golden caster sugar (3/4 cup)
9 ounces self raising flour (1 1/2 cups) sifted
2 large free range eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla
6 ounces of black currants (about 2 cups)
5 ounces granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
2 TBS of fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin and line with baking parchment, allowing the ends to drape over for easy removal.

Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla into a large bowl. Beat together with an electric whisk until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Spread one third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the black currants.. Dot another 1/3 of the batter over top of the currants. Spread over carefully. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the black currants over top. Finaly spread with the remaining batter, reserving the remainder of the currants for after.

Place into the heated oven and bake for about one hour, until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven.

Place the remainder of the currants in a bowl along with the granulated sugar. Add the lemon juice and stir in with a fork, lightly mashing the fruit just a bit.

Take a skewer and poke holes all into the top of the cake. Spoon the fruit,sugar and juice mixture over top evenly. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. The top should be set and crisp. Cut into slices to serve. Eat within a few days. (So NOT a problem!!)

PS - You can use any summer fruit. Some suggestions are

• diced apricots
• blackberries
• blueberries
• diced nectarines
• diced peaches
• diced plums
• raspberries
• red or black currants
• strawberries, diced if large
• any mixture of the above fruits